Chester Taylor unhappy with the Bears

Posted by Michael David Smith on August 28, 2011, 8:19 AM EST

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Chester Taylor is looking more and more like the odd man out in the Bears’ backfield, and he’s not happy about it.

On Saturday night Taylor never got in the game against the Titans, even though the Bears could have used another running back when Marion Barber left with a calf injury. Afterward Taylor told Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune that he’s frustrated, not only with not playing but with the way the coaches told him he wasn’t playing.

Matt Forte is well established as the Bears’ starter, and Taylor appears to be in competition for a roster spot with Barber and Kahlil Bell. But Barber and Bell have had far more playing time than Taylor this preseason, and Taylor says he doesn’t see how he’s supposed to compete for a roster spot if he can’t get the ball.

“It’s hard to get three carries in a preseason game and the other players are getting 13, 14 carries,” Taylor said. “That’s not comparing anything. It’s not from production and play.”

After the game, Taylor wasn’t hiding his frustration.

“Yeah, I’m disappointed,” Taylor said. “I’m practicing all week thinking I’m going to play. Just for them to come out of the blue and say that, yeah, I’m disappointed.”

The bottom line, however, is that Taylor signed a four-year, $12.5 million contract last year and then proceeded to carry the ball 112 times for 267, a pathetic 2.4 yards a carry. Taylor got plenty of carries last season to prove he belongs, and he didn’t take advantage of those carries. If he’s looking for someone to blame for the fact that he’s not getting many carries in the preseason this year, he should look in the mirror.

Unfortunately, Chester Taylor just doesn’t have it anymore. When a running back of his talents loses a step in speed or a .5 second in quickness it can spell doom for a career. Bears coaches are not just evaluating his dozen pre-season carries, but his 100+ carries last year where he struggled to get more than a 2.0 avg.

Chester….. Life in the BIGS my brother! I assume if you were lighting it up in practice, were a positive influence in the locker room, or played special teams like you wanted a roster spot versus a guy who deserves to wear a hat on the sideline and chuckle during games, things may be different…

chatham10 says:
Aug 28, 2011 8:38 AM
Chester, you had a good thing going in Minnesota and you left for the big bucks so it looks like things are not going to work out for you.
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Yea you could stayed and been on the NFC North’s last place team

Bears screwed this one up. Chester is a good player with good character.

He was their third best offensive player, right behind Greg Olson and Olin Kreutz.

imjinbrdgr says:Aug 28, 2011 9:45 AM

The Bears are going to be in a tooth and nail fight with the Vikings for the North cellar.

pkrjones says:Aug 28, 2011 9:55 AM

Taylor isn’t the only one questioning Angelo, Lovey nd Martz’s decisions. A team with the ability to evaluate talent will sign you and let you play, don’t worry. Da Bears will continue slogging through mediocre player moves and coaching… replacing their turf every 4 games and trading good, young players for peanuts.

Chester Taylor is not the odd man out, he is old man out. He has looked horrible in games and where Forte, Barber and Bell are averaging good YPC numbers, Taylor averages 2.0. Not the lines fault, not Martz fault , its on Taylor and he is getting old. Time for him to retire.

glac1 says:Aug 28, 2011 10:11 AM

The article didn’t mention the Bears horrible line. They’re in for a very long year…….

Taylor isn’t the only one questioning Angelo, Lovey nd Martz’s decisions. A team with the ability to evaluate talent will sign you and let you play, don’t worry. Da Bears will continue slogging through mediocre player moves and coaching… replacing their turf every 4 games and trading good, young players for peanuts.
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And winning the division and playoff games.

Chester, you had a good thing going in Minnesota and you left for the big bucks so it looks like things are not going to work out for you.
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Yea you could stayed and been on the NFC North’s last place team
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……yeah, as opposed to losing NFC Championship on your home turf against a division rival

at least we sucked last year and new exactly where we stand. you are still dealing with an egomainiac OC and a quitter of a starting QB who are both as hot as the wind goes. trust me, you take away your great O-Line coach & Devin Hester & your team has nothing!

He was all smiles when he left Minnie last year – now look at him. He’s the text book malcontent – he pouts, didn’t come to OTA’s or minicamps while at MN. Take that personality and factor in the league’s worst O-Line and this was bound to happen.

ppdoc13 says:Aug 28, 2011 12:07 PM

@knucklehead – sorry dude. Chester is not a high character team guy. He started with the ravens and we let him go because he whined about his usage when he was backing up Jamal Lewis. Then he goes to the bikes thinking he is da man and they draft AP. Noe he’s bitching about how he is being used again. This despite signing a way overvalued contract. He should STFU and count his blessings. Only other thing he is qualified 4 is flipping burgers at McD’s

1985bears says:Aug 28, 2011 12:22 PM

Jay Mohr is the voice of reason and he reminds us all to “LOOK AT THE GAME TAPE!”

We should be bashing the Bears for a terrible contract for a guy who didn’t really have it in his last year in Minnesota, let alone last year for the Bears. At least he’s saying that he’s interested in competing for a job when his body really isn’t.

Let alone that pairing him with a similar back in Forte didn’t make much sense either. It’s just another reason to not expect much out of the Bears this year. They really have no clue what they’re doing and had a lot of luck and health propel them well above their abilities.

Last year? Wasn’t it last year that same O-Line couldn’t protect Cutler that good and led the NFL in sacks allowed.
If they couldn’t pass block what’s makes them so good at holding some blocks for their running backs.

Which O-line would you rather have blocking for you the one in Chicago or Minnesota?

Watch how fast he gets signed when the Bears cut him. That is a very good indication of his perceived value. Da Bears paid a high price VERY FAST when Chester became a free agent. Remember that?

I didn’t work out in Chicago. Watch how quick another team grabs Chester when the Bears cut him. He is older, but his body has not had nearly the pounding a starter would have had over that time period. I was sad to see Chester leave Minny, because he was very productive there, behind Peterson in that 3rd down role. Chicago thought he could do the same there, and it didn’t work out.

I suggest you take your trolling somewhere else. The Bears may not turn out the greatest this year, but their fans can rest easy knowing it will be the Vikings living in the NFC North basement. Oh wait, lemmie guess…. you think a washed up McNabb will save your season.

So Jerry Angelo spent that kind of money on a 3rd down 29+ year old HB, told that James Starks kid he was gonna draft him, only to up and draft some random practice squad QB instead (who they later cut).

…. not trying to rip on chicago fans, but…
How can you not start some sort of hunger strike at this point?